Epidendrum gongorarum Hagsater, Pfahl & Cisneros 2020 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum
LCDP Photo by © Jay Pfahl & A Cisneros and Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1812 Hagsater & Cisneros 2020
plant in situ starts in upper left hand corner of photo
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
LATER
EARLIER
Common Name The Gongora's Epidendrum [Colombian brother & sister inlaw of the second author Current]
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Cundinamarca and Boyaca departments of Colombia in dwarf montane forests with heavy chusquea [a type of bamboo] at elevations of 2600 to 3000 meters as a small to medium sized, cold, scandent growing epiphyte with a new stem arising from the middle of the previous stem, simple, cane-like, substraight to arching stem enveloped by tubular, non-foliar, papyraceous sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, aggregate towards the apex, alternate, articulate, erect, subcoriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, acute margin entire, smooth, medium green leaves that blooms in the later spring and earlier summer on a terminal, erect, without a spathe, racemose, nutant, compact, peduncle .6 to 1.4" [1.5 to 3.5 cm] long, straight, laterally compressed, arching, bractless to occasionally single bracted, rachis 1.4 to 2.2" [3.5 to 5.5 cm] long, slightly compressed, sinuous, simultaneously to 10 to 12 flowered inflorescence with prominent, longer than the ovary, progressively shorter towards the apex, triangular-lanceolate, long-acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, copper brown flowers.
"Epidendrum gongorarum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum which is characterized by the erect habit with successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, the few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, the roots generally only from the base of the primordial stem, and the short apical inflorescence with fleshy yellow-green to green to violet-green to black flowers with short ovaries, and the lip entire to 3-lobed. The new species is recognized by the arcuate stems, the green with copper-brown spotted flowers, the petals 3-veined, wide, the lateral sepals oblique, prominently awed with a dorsal keel, and the lip entire and reniform, fleshy, base deeply cordate, apex emarginate, slightly concave in front of the column, margin somewhat revolute, ecallose, the disc with a low, elongate rib running to the apical sinus of the lip. Epidendrum pfahlii Hágsater & Cisneros 2020 has straight, erect stems, short, oblong-lanceolate leaves, lateral sepals .68 to .8" [17 to 20 mm] long, longer petals, a 3-lobate lip, ecallose, disc with 3 low, narrow, parallel ribs, mid-lobe transversely rectangular, lateral lobes sub-orbicular, margin entire, revolute. Epidendrum platyglossum Rchb.f.has floral bracts shorter than the ovary, 3 flowers per raceme, sepals elliptic, 7-veined, dorsal sepal reflexed, larger (about .64" [16 mm] long), with a low dorsal keel, larger lateral sepals (.8" [20 mm] long) and longer petals (.64" [16 mm] long), a longer lip (.64 to .88" [16 x 22 mm]), 3-lobed and a column about .4" [10 mm] long. Epidendrum tamaënse Foldats illustrated by Foldats (1969), and Hágsater (2006)] has similarly large flowers, long floral bracts, wide, rhombic petals, and a deeply 3-lobed lip, with the lobes of the bilobed mid-lobe similar in size and shape to the lateral lobes." Hagsater Pfahl & Cisneros 2020
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1812 Hagsater & Cisneros 2020 photos fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1830 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 see recognition section
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